Corporate Responsibility and Strategic Groups in the Forest‐based Industry: Exploratory Analysis based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework

Abstract

A growing number of large forest industry companies have declared voluntary adoption of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines to avoid the lack of verification in reporting and to alleviate current criticisms of corporate responsibility (CR) practices. In this study, we use quantitative multivariate analysis of CR disclosure data (GRI indicators) from 66 forest industry firms. The results from cluster analysis show that 58% of the major companies in forest-based industries are following what could be called a relatively defensive approach to CR, while companies proactive towards CR represent only a minority of the sample (18%), and one-quarter of the companies could be classified as being 'stuck-in-the-middle' in terms of CR. CR practices are found to run parallel to and beyond core business activities, number of employees, sales, and production in these three strategic groups. However, no strategic group level differences in terms of the location of headquarters or financial performance were found.

The Relationship between Femininity and Sustainability Reporting

“…In fact, there are industries with high environmental impacts, so called environmentally-sensitive industries, and industries have a high political visibility because they have greater proximity to consumers, investors or employees (FernandezFeijoo et al, 2012). Consequently, the companies of environmentally-sensitive industries disclose more CSR information and their reports are externally assured in more proportion than companies installed in other industries because they seek the acceptance of their activities from stakeholders (Brammer & Pavelin, 2008;Kolk & Perego, 2010;Moroney et al, 2012;Toppinen et al 2012;Sierra et al, 2013;Alonso-Almeida et al, 2014). Thus, Industry1 is a control variable that measures the percentage of GRI reports disclosed by the high-risk industries over the total GRI reports by country and year.…”

Reporting in the area of sustainable development with information technology application

“…Renewable materials include materials produced from renewable resources, that is, resources having the capacity for self-renewal, which can last for a certain period of time (biosphere -plant and animal life). One of the most effective ways to solve the problem of recycling wood wastes (Toppinen et al, 2012;Toppinen & Korhonen-Kurki, 2013) is their recycling into fuel briquettes. Non-renewable resources include minerals, which have found wide applications in modern industry being a raw material for fuel production (stone and brown coal, slate, peat, oil) and building materials.…”

Social Entrepreneurship in an Inclusive Business Model: A New Business Model for Sustainable Agroforestry

“…The expansion of Eucalyptus plantations in China has been particularly noted and criticized by NGOs and media. In China, the substantial amount of land utilized has led to land conlicts with local populations caused by great dissatisfaction associated with the pricing of land and the handling of land rights by governmental local authorities [35].…”